He hadn't expected to but he felt different as he left his den in the morning. Maybe it was the company of his new beybanu, or simply the success of feeling himself a proper pad, or even just the short move he had made from the den of his parents. Whatever it was, it had left Rasul feeling capable of walking into the common lands with his head held high, something he usually left to the more brawny of the pads and pesars. He was out this morning to catch a bird with the odd thought that Litho might enjoy the song. After that of course it would be fitted with a number of trinkets to see how much it could carry, but he was going to feed it first so surely it wasn't cruel.
Each morning, she went out with her mother to visit other mothers in the pride. And every morning, Tasleem was allowed an hour of time to explore herself. It was a system her and her mother had made to bring her out of her little shell. Despite being the quietest of all her siblings, she was the most well behaved. Her mother and father wanted her to get to know everyone in the pride so she would get the most perfect Pad for her.
Today was no different. She parted from her mother with a soft, polite thank you and off she went. Where she was going today, the gray lioness cub didn't know, but exploring was kind of fun. She headed out in a randomly picked direction and greeted everyone she saw.
Rasul had seen the cub before, she and her family had been pointed out by his father during their lessons. He had been instructed that they were pleasant enough, but as always the discussion included his father's belief in somewhat rough teaching. Needless to say he disagreed, but he wouldn't tell his father that, he simply believed that with a good father no such teaching would be necessary. He hadn't noticed her in the same way before, but with bones on his mind her markings stood out to him. Of course he couldn't just approach her and say so, it was disrespectful. Instead he busied himself digging at the base of a tree, humming and glancing up at her periodically as he did.
Her odd eyes darted this way and that as she made her way through the pride. Something felt off to her today. What it was, she didn't know, but something was different. That made her knit her brows together and her steps to hesitate. Upon looking around, she saw a male digging at a tree. It was an odd site, not something she often saw one doing. Would it be disrespectful to approach him? Their eyes connected once, and she felt obligated to go over and say something nice. "Good morning, Pad..."
He nodded his head as he dusted off his paws, "Banu." While he thought he knew her name, he remembered at the last second that it wasn't wise to show that he did. She might think he had been watching her, and her father would not appreciate that. "Pad Rasul," he introduced himself, keeping eye contact with her only briefly, "Son of Pad Kwea." It was an epithet he supposed he really didn't need anymore now that he had brought back a beybanu, but it still brought him some comfort.
"Banu Tasleem." She kept her voice quiet, polite, but there was personality behind it. She was raised to be the best she could be, and Tasleem's natural personality was submissive. She was her name sake. "Daughter of Pad Kame'buffu and Banu Kinaya." She dipped her head and then smiled brightly at him.
A smile lit up his face as he looked at her a little more closely, lingering for a moment on her skull mark. Litho would appreciate that, certainly, with her love of bone stones. "My father instructed us well, your father is a good Pad," he told her, pushing a small rock around the roots of the tree to distract himself from being too awkward. That was a problem sometimes, he got so wrapped up in being logical that he caused social problems. Litho understood, but even his sisters had thought he was strange. "Are you out traveling alone this morning?" he inquired, glancing around for sight of a family member. It wasn't uncommon, just a little odd considering the number of males around his own age. Some of them could be pushy to a lone banu.
She nodded a little and seemed perfectly OK with everything he was doing and saying. Who was she to judge what a pad did? Mother told her, like every mother told their children, not all were raised the same and everyone had a personality. Often times, she adjusted her personality to that of whoever she was talking too. He seemed to like her politeness, so that is how she would remain. "My father is a very good Pad. He takes care of all of us wonderfully." Her smile only widened at his inquiry. "I'm alone, yes. My mother allows me to wandering about for one hour. Then I'm to make my way home."
He nodded, "I used to wander too." Though he supposed it wasn't quite the same thing, he had never really paid attention to what his sisters and other mothers had done. "I guess I still do," he laughed, squeezing the rock in a paw, "I like to come out and watch the sun light up the sky. My father always said it's magic but I don't think so, I think it's nature." He had heard the rumors of gods that had been circulating around Pad Nywele, but he believed there was a much more mechanical and reason driven process at work.
So now she knew what kind of Pad he was. He was analitical. And that was perfectly fine with her. "It is nature. The sun goes down to make way for the moon. Your father is partially right, though. I feel there might be something magical about it." It was true. Despite knowing it happened every day regardless of what was happening around it, she still felt a sunrise was magical, and a sun set. But, she supposed she could blame it on being a female. They often had fleeting ideas like that. "I've met many a banu and pesar and pads in my wanderings.." She didn't know how many of them she left an impression on, but she'd met them.
Partially magical, well he supposed that was possible. Not everything he had found could be explained, he certainly didn't know what to make of the bone stones that now littered his den yet. "You have?" he asked curiously, "I haven't spoken to many outside my family. I know where to find all the lizards and things though." It was a fact that made him cheerful but maybe it was a little odd. At the very least the creatures he tracked and captured could be food in a drought.
He knew where the lizards were? Tasleem couldn't help but laugh at that information. "Will... you show me one day, where they are?" She was interested in lizards. It was one of the only times she pounced and played. She hardly did it with her siblings anymore, because they were rough and often times hurt Tasleem or didn't stop when she wanted too.
"If you like," he laughed, his smile taking an odd maniacal turn for a moment, "My sisters always screamed when I brought something back." Of course a couple times that something had been a scorpion, and he could kind of understand that. It was nice that she seemed interested though, Litho hadn't really understood his maze experiment but maybe this banu would. Tasleem, it was a nice name too, and she seemed sweet. It was hard to imagine her helping him dig a tunnel or catch a lizard. But to each their own. "I'm looking for a bird today," he said hopefully, thinking she might be willing to help.
"A bird?" She quipped, her interest piqued greatly. Tasleem loved birds! They sang so beautifully and were so pretty. A bird all to herself is what she wanted one day. "I know where birds often gather. There's a tree that produces some kind of fruit that they love near here." She smiled beautifully at him, obviously she'd been raised right.
"Fantastic," he yelped, a bit of the youthful high pitch slipping into his voice. She was proving to be quite useful, he'd have to mark the location somehow and reference it back to his den. Litho was working to improve it now, widening and smoothing, it was part of the reason he'd made sure to leave. For a moment he wondered if he'd even be able to find it again. Well of course, it would be the one with the bits of soft rock and the bone stones littered outside. "Let's go to the birds then," he insisted, looking in a few different directions. Realizing from the tone of her voice that birds were something she was fond of he added, "My experiment won't hurt them at all, I promise."
She wasn't even thinking about the birds being hurt, but now that he said something about it, she bit down on her lip and eyed him with her creepy eyes. "...Alright... Just don't make them go away. I love watching them.." Her tail flicked before she started to the right, but at an angle. "They're small birds, but they're very pretty and bright.." With a little noise, she motioned to the big tree straight ahead of them in the distance before smiling again. "They're right up there."
He sped to a trot as they approached, keeping low and quiet so as not to scare them off. Not that that was very liked, he realized. A small flock was nesting in the tree, gorging themselves on the overripe fruits he had mentioned. All the colors seemed to be represented, he made a note to find a way to record the different patterns somehow. He could remember the colors, but certainly not all the different variations they seemed to come in. "This is wonderful Tasleem," he cried, staring up at them all. It took him a moment to realize his mistake but when he did he blushed, "I mean Banu Tasleem, I'm sorry."
Tasleem's cheeks flushed darkly when she realized he had dropped the Banu in front of her name. Mother had told her thats what mates did when they were alone in their dens. They were not mates and they were not in their dens. But, strangely, she didnt seem to mind it. "Y...you can call me.... by my name..." But, before he could say anything, she stopped, catching sight of a bird coming towards them. She caught it from the corner of her eye. Motioning him to look slowly with her, Tasleem turned her head to observe the creature.
His blushed darkened and he welcomed the diversion of the bird. It was graceful, seeming to float on the air. His eyes were drawn to the structure of its wings, the thing bones that held it up in the air. He would need to catch one of these one day, to work toward an explanation for how that structure worked, but he had promised no harm today. Instead he smiled, gesturing as it landed, "How close do you think it'll come?"
"Not very," she whispered softly. "It'll see us, and start the other way again.." And sure enough, that's what happened. Tasleem loved to watch this group of birds. It was the same number every day. The same colors too, so she figured it had to be the same birds. When it was far enough away, Tasleem sat up again and just watched them with a smile. The distraction had put her back into a good mindset.
"Fascinating," he whispered through his breath, the information rattling through his mind as he logged it all away. The birds weren't as peculiar as the bone stones or his intelligence experiments, but they were certainly beautiful. "Do they often have young with them?" he asked, searching the ground for any that appeared immature, "Or do they nest somewhere else maybe?" For the most part his questions were rhetorical, he didn't expect her to know all the answers. But some were nice, and you never got any answers at all if you didn't ask the questions. It was a trait others often found annoying in him. "I wonder if they nest near the lake, because of the water, or maybe further up toward the grasses."
"They hardly have young with them. But I know the two blue ones often bring worms into a tree. I don't know which one, but I'm assuming that it's for babies..." She bit down on her lip again and then smiled a bit. "I watch them for a while before carrying on with my day. I don't have much time to spend before I have to go back home.." Tasleem sighed heavily at that and saw the birds all turn to look at her. "Sorry, birds.." Her voice was light with that apology.
Rasul couldn't help but laugh at her apology, quieting himself as a few stirred and lifted up. The one near them scampered back toward the rest and he turned an apologetic eye to her. "Sorry, that was just," he trailed off, feeling like he needed to glance away, "It was really sweet of you." He didn't know much about her future, but he knew that he would like more times like this, simple relaxing appreciation. And Litho might enjoy it as well. Still, he dreaded formal questions. "Banu Tasleem," he said purposefully, "Does your father have plans for your future? Has he told you?"
She flushed again at his laugh and ducked her head. Birds had feelings too, and if they were scared by her, she wanted to apologize. It was the kind and right thing to do! But he explained and she flushed darker, rubbing a paw against her arm before shaking her head. Her father didnt let her know her future. She hadn't a clue what was going to happen to her. Honestly, Tasleem didn't want to ask him because she was afraid the answer was "I don't know." "He's not told me anything. I... I haven't asked, either. If... I can be so forward and inquire why, Pad, Rasul?"
"I think I might like to talk to him," he admitted with a bit of a smile, "If you'd be interested coming to live with me. It's always exciting at my den, my beybanu Litho has much the same interests as me but neither of us have much of a head for keeping a good home. She would love the company, and you could watch birds or play with lizards whenever you wanted because she'll be there." He paused, considering if there was anything else important. "Oh," he added, "We don't have any cubs for a while." That might keep them all from feeling overwhelmed, time to simply get used to each others company before adding in chaos. The den certainly needed he and Litho's strong work, and perhaps this sweet little banu could make it feel like a real home. "I won't say anything if you don't want to though."
She really had no say in who she went too. Tasleem could voice her opinions, if she had any, but they didn't have to be heeded. She was a Banu, a barganing tool and a mother. That was her role. So, she did the polite thing and just gave him a smile and a nod. Of course he could talk to her father. If her father deemed him worthy, then at least she could say she was going to a Pad that wasn't at all cruel. She elt Rasul had a very sweet personality when he wasn't analizing things. "If you wish to talk to my father, you've every right to do so, Pad Rasul..." her voice was sweet, belaying nothing of approval or disapproval.
As he often was in formal situations, Rasul was confused. His expression might have been confused for dismay, but he felt it best to just switch the topic back to something he was comfortable with and spare himself the embarassment. "Um," he started, glancing around, "Do the birds attract any predators? I've seen jackals around before." Not exactly a smooth transition, he'd have to consider the future later on. He didn't want to ask if she wasn't happy with the idea, but he had realized that like any well trained banu, she wasn't going to give him that much. It was a shame sometimes, he tended to do better with simple answers.
Ah. She'd gone and made him uncomfotable with her answer and she felt really bad now. Her ears lowered, but she was glad for the attempted transition. "I... haven't seen that they have. Maybe some genets, but nothing big. A guard always comes when there's something close by to take care of them. And I always get shooed back home." She swollowed and felt that she needed to ease his mind. "I wouldn't mind if you talked to my father... And... I wouldn't... want cubs until I was fully grown." She was still quiet young, so he'd have to wait to get her, she knew that. Her father would tell him as much as well.
"Huh?" he blurted again, a bright blush coming over his face, "I mean, of course, of course." He wasn't that sort of male, he knew some his own age who fussed over beautiful females and were anxious to start their families, but he wasn't even sure who he was yet! And she was just a young one, admittedly Litho was older than he was as well, but ages hadn't really entered into his thinking. "You wouldn't have to leave home until you were completely ready," he assured her, "I'll make sure to tell your father that too." Though he was fairly certain he had messed it all up with his fumblings, it wouldn't be the first time.
She nodded and flicked her tail softly before getting up, whispering an apology to the birds before looking at him again. "Pad Rasul, I'm afraid it's time to go back to the den for more lessons... .....Could... I be forward.... to inquire if we can do this again? Talking?" Her brows knitted together as she asked; oh how she wished she sounded more natural and confident. She was really interested in him and what he wanted to do with the birds.
"Of course," he sighed, wishing he had been a little more tactful. He glanced up at the birds, regretting that he couldn't be as graceful as they were. Maybe it he found a way to keep one so he could observe it. A thought for another day. "My den is to the north, where the earth has come up in angled cracks. It's the best place for finding bones and things," he explained, "You may call there if your mother will let you, or I can meet you within her sight."
"I will see what can be done." She offered him a smile and nothing more as she headed back to her den. Honestly, she couldn't say when or how they were going to meet again, so she said the best thing that came to her head. Before long, she slipped completely out of his sight and back in her den.
